People who switched careers after 30 share why the change was 'unexpectedly fulfilling'

As a post-30 adult with a career and responsibilities, it’s natural to lose your sense of agency—it can feel like you’re trudging through a boring biopic script written by a stranger. Many of us have followed convention: If you were able to get through school (and perhaps fortunate enough to pursue secondary education), you may have felt pressured to decide which path you want to follow for the rest of your life. I remember feeling rudderless as a college freshman: "I’d love to be a professional musician or film director, but that’s impossible. So what else is there? Could I be a writer? I guess I’ll major in English and see what happens."

If you’ve been lucky enough to secure a decent-paying job and achieve some form of stability, it’s hard to not keep flipping through the pages of that mundane script, even if you’d rather be doing anything else. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, possibly with a family to support, you may not have the luxury of entertaining a midlife career shift. Plus, the whole idea might feel too scary or daunting. But what can we learn from the people who’ve managed to pull it off?

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The "unexpected" rewards of making a career change after 30

In the r/careerguidance subreddit, one user posed an intriguing question on this topic: "Career-changers: What job surprised you most after 30?" Explaining that they’re "thinking about switching careers at 35 but want something that doesn’t feel like jumping off a cliff," they crowdsourced the experiences of others who’d already taken the plunge: "Curious what people here found unexpectedly fulfilling or practical after changing fields later in life." Some of the answers might offer helpful food or thought as you contemplate the future.

One user writes that, at age 35, they left emergency medicine to become a "utility lineman," evolving their idea of what "work" even means. "[At that age, it’s] distilled down to an exchange of time x money," they wrote. "Starting at the bottom is a shock. It can also be liberating. Sans the financial shock, showing up to learn was a welcomed experience. After a short time, the money exceeded what I was previously making. In summary, it can be humbling and rewarding simultaneously." One Redditor replied that they "really need to hear this" perspective, given that they’re also 35 and are "[starting] from the bottom" at a large company after a career change–moving from life as a chef to a project manager to a systems engineer track. "Some days are hard and I feel like it was a mistake, but I know it was the right choice (mostly the financial shock)," they wrote. "I love learning new things, and the project I work on is fascinating."

Someone who shifted from "restaurants to industrial property management" highlighted that many of their career skills ("time mgmt, deadlines, projects, talking to people, follow-up, etc.") were transferrable—an important observation. Even if you change careers and start from the bottom, it’s not as if you'd lose the strengths you’ve already developed. That said, as another user pointed out, starting over in a new field may require a "pay cut," and not everyone can make that work.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

For some people, a career switch offered "hope" and adventure

It’s also inspiring to see how shifting careers has improved some people’s quality of life. One user switched from a software engineer to an airline pilot at age 30, helping them interact with more people, avoid being stuck at their desk, and visit other parts of the world. "I’m back home most days, and it’s amazing getting into bed thinking I’ve flown to two different countries that day," they wrote.

Another Redditor, 43, said they’re currently moving from software engineering to cyber-security—an adjustment that’s seemingly boosted their mental health. "What has been surprising is just how young and hopeful going back to school and retraining has made me feel," they wrote. "It really has rejuvenated my entire life. I spent far too long stuck in a career which I didn't feel I had any way out of…In terms of whether this career transition will ultimately be successful—it is too early to say. But already, I don't regret it, as it has brought so much hope and energy into my life."

These success stories aren’t attainable for everyone—and in some cases, the stories aren’t fully written. But that’s also kind of the whole point: The idea that we must have "everything figured out" by a certain age is a myth. To illustrate that point, let's look back to 2022, when writer Katherine Morgan tweeted, "I’m 28, so I’m almost there, but can people in their 30s and older please (gently) tell me that it’s going to get better and I don’t need to have figured out my entire life in two years?" The post went viral, as people in their 30s (and beyond) offered some needed perspective. "The good news is you don't need to figure your life out in 2 years," one user wisely wrote. "The semi-bad news is never fully gets figured out. That's a myth. You'll be growing and changing your whole life, and there will be periods of confusion in there. There will also be periods of stability."

In that same vein, back in 2020, TV writer-producer Melissa Hunter tweeted in search of a spin on the usual media lists lauding the achievements of people under 30. Instead, she sought out the "big breaks" of folks in middle age—and the examples flooded in, including the mother of four teenagers who published her first full-length book at 45 and started law school at 47.

- YouTube www.youtube.com